ESPE Abstracts

Background: RARβ cooperates with Nur77 to in-vitro regulate HSD3B2 transcription. NUR77 expression parallels HSD3B2 expression with a much lower level in androgen-producing adrenocortical tissues (childhood virilizing adrenocortical tumours (VAT), fetal zone (FeZ) and zona reticularis, ZR). RARβ is down-regulated in starved, hyperandrogenic H295R cells. However, the mechanisms regulating this expression pattern and the relevance of RARβ to huma...

Background: Glucocorticoids exert profound immune-modulating effects and regulate the expression of genes involved in cell cycle progression and apoptosis. Synthetic glucocorticoids are the most potent agents used in the treatment of inflammatory, autoimmune and lymphoproliferative disorders. Considerable variation in response to therapeutic doses of glucocorticoids exists among individuals, as evidenced by differences both in disease response and in the incidence of glucocort...

Background: Steroid hormones produced by the human fetal adrenals (HFA) are suggested to regulate intrauterine homeostasis and the maturation of certain fetal organs necessary for extrauterine life. Appropriate development and hormonal function of the HFA therefore are critical for normal fetal maturation and survival. Little is known about the possible relationship between the expression of steroidogenic enzymes and corresponding transcription factors in the HFA in vivo</...

Background: Management of patients with CAH remains challenging. There is increasing evidence to suggest that failure to optimize treatment during childhood not only affects final height but also leads to psychological and psychiatric problems. Previous qualitative structural T2-weighted MRI studies have identified white matter hyper-intensities in up to 46% of CAH patients. The nature and functional relevance of these abnormalities remains unknown.Objec...

Background: Despite current treatment, girls and women with severe forms of 21OHD are exposed lifelong to a chronic excess of androgens and the secondary effects of suppressive corticoids, which make gene therapy (GT) an option to be explored.Objective: To evaluate the effect of human CYP21 gene transfer mediated by adeno-associated virus (AAV) in a Cyp21−/− mouse model.Methods: 17 adult <em...

Background: The association of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), adrenal insufficiency and gonadal dysgenesis is well recognised. Some children have been reported to develop monosomy 7 and myelodysplasia. However, the genetic basis of this condition was poorly understood.Objective and hypotheses: Our aim was to investigate the genetic basis of eight children with IUGR, adrenal insufficiency and gonadal failure and additional features including seve...